We often imagine that steel comes from just one technology. In reality, to understand what sustainability truly means, we must analyze how Green Steel production takes place, starting from its roots. Today, the steel industry faces a technological crossroads. There are two main methods:

1. The traditional route (Blast Furnace): Uses iron ore extracted from mines and coke (coal) as a reducing agent. It is a process that starts from virgin raw materials and is characterized by high CO₂ emissions.
2. The electric route (EAF – Electric Arc Furnace): Uses existing steel scrap and melts it using the energy of an electric arc.

In this scenario, our partner Swiss Steel Group‘s position is clear: we use only Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) technology. No compromises. This technological choice transforms the steel mill into one of the most relevant recycling platforms in the countries where it operates, ensuring Green Steel production based on concrete data:

• 2 Million Tons: The amount of steel scrap we treat and recycle every year.
• Circular Economy: We transform what is waste for others into a very high-quality raw material.

The sustainability of Green Steel production does not only concern the furnace, but also the journey raw materials take. While the blast furnace often requires minerals transported for thousands of kilometers (often from the other side of the world, like Brazil or Australia), Swiss Steel Group adopts a different strategy. We purchase the most important raw materials for our production locally (often within an 80-100 km radius). Drastically shortening the supply chain means significantly reducing CO₂ emissions linked to transport (Scope 3), also favoring rail transport where possible.

The upstream production choice has a direct impact on how we at Bonomi Acciai manage distribution. Knowing that the steel we process comes from scrap and not coal changes our approach to service. Here is how we apply the value of Green Steel production through our four pillars:

1. Producer selection
   Not all steels are equal, even with the same chemical analysis. Selecting partners like Swiss Steel Group, who exclusively use EAF technology, means offering our customers a material that starts with a huge environmental advantage (up to 83% less emissions compared to blast furnace production). We prioritize suppliers who invest in recycling rather than mining extraction.
2. Responsible material use
   Here the circle closes (“Closing loops”). Since our partner’s Green Steel production process feeds on scrap, the offcuts and processing waste generated by our service center and our customers’ workshops are not “garbage,” but precious resources. Optimizing cuts to reduce waste is the first step; but ensuring that the resulting material is correctly sorted allows it to be reintroduced into the EAF production cycle, reducing the need for new primary alloys.
3. Transparency on supplied materials
   It is fundamental to explain to the customer the difference between blast furnace steel and EAF steel. In our consulting, we highlight how choosing a material produced from local scrap and melted electrically can lower the Carbon Footprint of the final component. A figure that becomes crucial for the Automotive and Mechanical sectors, increasingly attentive to ESG reporting.
4. Targeted technical support
   Let’s dispel an old myth: steel from scrap (EAF) today reaches purity levels and mechanical performance equal or superior to that from ore, thanks to advanced refining technologies and precise scrap selection. Our technical support serves exactly this purpose: guiding the customer in using Green steels while ensuring that in-service performance remains excellent, with no compromises on quality.

Green Steel production is not magic, it is a precise technological choice: electricity instead of coal, scrap instead of ore, zero km instead of transoceanic transport. Choosing Bonomi Acciai and Swiss Steel Group means choosing this second path: that of efficiency, recovery, and respect for the environment.